On Tuesday, January 12th, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck the island of Haiti. The center of the quake hit about 10 miles southwest of Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital. According to the Red Cross, it is estimated that nearly one-third of Haiti’s population were affected by the quake.
How You Can Help Haiti
Below are a listing of ways Virginia Baptists can help the people of Haiti recover from the earthquake at Port-au-Prince, including:
If your church has an ongoing ministry with a Haitian church or ministry, either in Haiti or in our Commonwealth, please contact Jeannette Hildebrand at 800.255.2428, ext. 7260.
For More details, please read our regular Response Updates below.
Medical Volunteers Needed!
Virginia Baptists have been asked to field two medical teams to serve in Haiti. Team one will serve from February 18-26 and team two from February 21-March 1.
These teams are for qualified, licensed
medical personnel only. If you are available during these two time periods (or other times), open the Medical Volunteer Application Form and start the volunteer process today!
Volunteers MUST be in very good health and willing to endure rather harsh conditions on the field. More details concerning these two teams and other future teams will be released soon.
Medical Supplies Collection
Virginia Baptists are now collecting medical supplies that will be transported to Haiti and used by volunteers currently on the field and by those who may go in the near future (see Approved Items List for details).
A majority of these supplies will be distributed in partnership with Cooperative Baptist Fellowship missionaries in Haiti. A centralized distribution depot established by the Haitian government will also receive some of the donations.
The remaining items will be carried directly by our Virginia Baptist volunteers and teams from other states. We suggest that you partner with other congregations in your region to coordinate this effort.
Please take the next few weeks to collect and deliver these items to the Virginia Baptist Resource Center the week of February 22–26 as we plan to load a truck with all of the supplies on Sunday, February 28 and send it to our partners for distribution.
Virginia Baptists will join with Richmond-area Methodists to package 142,000 meals on Tuesday, April 6 and Wednesday, April 7 through Stop Hunger Now (SHN).
SHN is the organization that Virginia Baptists have partnered with on many occasions, including our recent annual meeting in November. They have a reliable partner on the ground in Haiti and have sent over 6 million meals there over the past several years.
Virginia Baptists have been asked to provide 40–50 volunteers for each of these packaging time periods:
Each group will package approximately 23,660 meals
First half hour of each session will be prayer and orientation.
Please Note: All volunteers must register in advance for a scheduled time period by contacting Jeannette Hildebrand. Volunteers should arrive promptly at their scheduled time period. Those who arrive unannounced may be turned away.
We will attempt to coordinate similar events in other regions of the state once funds become available.
Buckets of Hope
Buckets of Hope (BOH) is a nationwide, Southern Baptist emphasis to provide food for the people of Haiti. Individuals, families, and church groups are being asked to purchase a five-gallon bucket and fill it with food items from the approved list.
These buckets should then be delivered to your regional collection site which will then be sent to a central collection point. From there all the buckets will be transported to a staging area in Florida and then delivered to Haiti.The buckets will be distributed by local pastors.
Open the BOH flyer for instructions on filling your bucket.
Bucket Collection Sites
Once your bucket is complete, please be sure to drop it off at one of our convenient locations.
Henry Country Association Office (Martinsville)
3449 Kings Mountain Road, Martinsville, VA 24112 Monday–Friday, 8:30–4:30
Marion (Marion)
1258 North Main Street, Marion, VA 24354 Thursdays, 10:00–2:00
Prayer and Financial Contributions
Prayer and financial donations
are a necessary and beneficial
mode of assistance with this disaster, and continue to be
most
needed and valuable.
Over $70,000 has been contributed by our BGAV congregations. This money will be used to make radical differences in the lives of the people of Haiti.
One hundred percent of these funds will be used
to provide food, water, shelter, medical supplies
and long term, sustainable aid.
Please use Google Donations box to the right to help provide financial support of our relief efforts in Haiti. All donations are appreciated and can be given in any amount.
Thank you Virginia Baptists for your continued generosity.
Response Updates
Friday, February 5, 2010
11:30 PM – Advance Notice e-newsletter subscribers received a Special Edition of Advance Notice with details of response.
This website will be updated as these plans develop, so please continue to return for additional news and announcements.
Register for Advance Notice to receive updates on our response for the Haitian Earthquake disaster as well as other special news and announcements from the Virginia Baptist Mission Board.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
4:45 PM – Virginia Baptists’ response to Haiti continues even in the midst of frustration and confusion.
Current response plans are moving ahead, although very slowly, as we anxiously await the infrastructure in Haiti to become secure and reliable. Three hundred Virginia Baptists have already filled all of our time periods at the Stop Hunger now event. If you want to volunteer you can still contact Jeannette Hildebrand to be placed on the contact list to receive priority placement on the next activity.
We are also gearing up to receive all of the medical supplies that churches are collecting. Individuals, churches and associations are all working together in this monumental effort. We anticipate sending a truck load of supplies to Miami in a few weeks and then on to Haiti through one of our partner airlines. We will give a full report at the conclusion of that event.
You can keep in touch with all of the latest developments on this site. We plan to continue to update this page on Wednesdays and Fridays with announcements as necessary and pray you will share these efforts with your churches.
2:30 PM – It is with heavy hearts that we continue to witness the devastation and destruction in the country of Haiti. After such a tragedy, many of us are overcome with a strong desire to help in any way possible.
To this point, prayer and financial donations
have been the most necessary and beneficial
mode of assistance. These continue to be
the most
needed and valuable.
In addition, we have details regarding these two hands-on ministry opportunities that will significantly benefit the people of Haiti during this time of great need:
Each of these opportunities are a tangible way for you and your congregation to engage locally in a ministry that will have a global impact.
3:00 PM – Advance Notice e-newsletter subscribers received a Special Edition of Advance Notice with details of response.
This website will be updated as these plans develop, so please continue to return for additional news and announcements.
Register for Advance Notice to receive updates on our response for the Haitian Earthquake disaster as well as other special news and announcements from the Virginia Baptist Mission Board.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
4:45 PM – The situation in Haiti was complicated again today with another 6.1 aftershock. As could be expected, there continue to be many obstacles that hamper any form of mass response from volunteer organizations.
The leadership of Virginia Baptist Disaster Relief Ministries remain in constant communication with our international partners and stand ready to respond as soon as a viable plan can be established. We believe it is important to develop a sustainable plan as this situation will require extended assistance.
Virginia Baptists have been generous in their monetary donations, which, along with prayer, continue to be the best form of response. We have been in contact with a BGAV Haitian congregation in the Roanoke area that covet your prayers as they suffer with their country and wait for updates on loved one.
Another update will be posted before the weekend that will include some hands-on endeavors for your church to consider in support of this disaster.
Friday, January 15, 2010
1:15 PM – At this time the best way to respond continues to be with prayers and financial contributions.
Currently, volunteers are not needed but we anticipate teams being requested in the future. Our partners are on the field and making assessments of the situation. These partners are aware of the wealth of resources that Virginia Baptists have to offer and are encouraged to know that we stand with them ready to respond at a moment's notice.
Plans are also progressing for local, hands-on ministry opportunities to assist the Haiti earthquake victims. Individuals should monitor this website for information regarding these opportunities.
Religious Herald is monitoring coverage of the Virginia Baptist response in Haiti. Here is a video of Dean Miller, Virginia Missions Coordinator, discussing how to provide help after the earthquake:
The Virginia Baptist Mission Board has pledged $10,000 from its World Mission Initiative (WMI) funds to assist victims of this tragedy. WMI funds come from Cooperative Missions offerings. Cooperative Missions gifts also help to support the infrastructure of our Disaster Response ministries that keep us trained and ready to respond.
100% of designated offerings goes to the field for basic human needs – medicine, food, water, shelter. Checks should be made payable to the Virginia Baptist Mission Board and designated to “Haiti Earthquake” on the Notes line.
Please make your donations on this website
as funds received on this site during our response
are automatically
designated for the Haiti relief effort.
1:30 PM – Advance Notice e-newsletter subscribers received a Special Edition of Advance Notice with details of response.
This website will be updated as these plans develop, so please continue to return for additional news and announcements.
Register for Advance Notice to receive updates on our response for the Haitian Earthquake disaster as well as other special news and announcements from the Virginia Baptist Mission Board.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
4:30 PM – Leaders of the Virginia Baptist Mission Board disaster relief program are continuing to engage in conversations regarding assistance following the devastating earthquake that struck the island nation of Haiti.
Although many volunteers are willing to travel to Haiti to offer assistance, the infrastructure is not yet in place to receive these volunteers.
A common theme of many of the conversations taking place now revolves around groups of volunteers that have spontaneously deployed without proper support in place on the field location. These volunteers are now stuck in route due to difficulties actually getting into the affected area.
If the Virginia Baptist Mission Board sends a volunteer team, proper leadership on the field will be a priority not only for guidance in recovery efforts but also for security purposes.
At this time, the most appropriate and beneficial response is through prayer and monetary support.
5:00 PM – Below are copies of
a prayer guide and slideshow used in the Warrenton Baptist Church yesterday evening.
Here too is a link to a YouTube video created by Donna and Lee Wilkers from their last mission trip to Ft. Liberte, Haiti, over Thanksgiving and Christmas. The Wilkers have partnered with Rev. Andre Jean and the Jerusalem Baptist Church over the past 20 years.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
11:00 AM – At this time, leaders of the Virginia Baptist Mission Board Disaster Response program are engaged in several conversations to determine the most effective response plan for our resources and volunteers.
4:00 PM – Advance Notice e-newsletter subscribers received a Special Edition of Advance Notice with details of disaster and encouragement to pray for the needs of our neighbors in the Caribbean.
This website will be updated as these plans develop, so please check back for further news and announcements.
VBMB Disaster Relief ministries are supported by gifts to the Baptist General Association of Virginia’s Cooperative Missions budget, the Alma Hunt Offering for Virginia Missions, and individual donations specifically designated for "Disaster Relief."
Your support through prayers for the victims and volunteers and donations designated the "Disaster Relief" ministry are greatly appreciated.
Please contact Dean Miller or Nichole Bulls with any questions or requests related to our Disaster Relief ministry.
Virginia Baptist Mission Board
2828 Emerywood Parkway
Richmond, VA 23294
Haitian Earthquake
